When Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) came to power in 2015 he promised to modernise the Saudi kingdom with his “Vision 2030”. He opened cinemas, and allowed women to drive and attend sports events. Seeing this, several western media figures became his cheerleaders, believing him to be the long-awaited liberal reformer who would transform the country for the better.

They didn’t count on him jailing every women’s rights activist he could lay his hands on.

He may have implemented some changes, but he has also silenced the very people who advocated for women’s rights for years. In fact, MBS has not modernised the country but transformed the Saudi regime into a more centralised and autocratic, absolute monarchy than ever before, marginalising and jailing anyone who tries to have their say about their society. He may have allowed women to drive, but he has refused their calls to end the male guardianship system, hold free elections, release prisoners of conscience and allow civil society to operate.